Seismic investigations in the vicinity of the great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt

An integrated suite of seismic geophysical surveys including seismic refraction, refraction tomography, and high resolution reflection was utilized in the areas within the Sphinx Enclosure, the Sphinx Temple, and in the surrounding desert areas to the east and south of the Sphinx. The purposes of the investigations were to analyze the depth and distribution of weathering in the exposed limestone bedrock, search for voids/cavities around and under the Sphinx, and describe the bedrock configuration where buried by sands in the adjacent desert areas. The survey discovered that subsurface weathering below the floor of the Sphinx Enclosure is not uniform, suggesting varied periods of subaerial exposure for different portions of the excavation. A series of cavities on each side of the Sphinx, as well as between its paws, was defined. Further, the sand‐buried bedrock surface in the desert area shows evidence of several excavated, or possibly downfaulted, structures.